Women in Trades: Paving the Way for Future Generations

As time advances, our nation – and the world – has repeatedly witnessed the progression of women making a difference within society in many positive ways. By advancing into careers in the fields of business, politics, and science, just to name a few, women from both our current and previous generations have worked hard to make a name for themselves while combatting a variety of stereotypes.

In recent years, this nature of combatting stereotypes has been seen especially in the world of the skilled trades, as women are continually breaking the mold and specializing in many vocational fields. It has become more and more common for women to forego the journey of earning a desk job and instead pursue the path of becoming a welder, a machinist or an electrician.

Let’s take a look at some essential facts about the expanding role women are playing within the trades.

The Pursuit of Women Developing Their Careers in the Skilled Trades

For decades, women have been advocating for a seat at the industrial table. A high-profile example of the efforts made by women seeking to earn a fulfilling career in skilled trades was seen in Honoring Tradeswomen, a bill curated by five U.S. senators in 2003, which stated that “there should be more attention paid to breaking down the barriers that women face in entering the skilled trades.”

Because of elements such as this bill, and the continued persistence of other advocacy groups such as Sisters in the Building Trades, there has been an increase in the amount of women seen in just about every vocational field.

However, despite these efforts to include females in the field of skilled trades, there have still been predictions for labor shortages in many vocational industries. For example, the American Welding Society predicts that there will be a shortage of 400,000 operators, both male and female, by 2024.

With shortages such as these becoming more evident, there in turn are demand increases happening at a steady pace. For instance, the demand for both electricians and HVAC professionals are each predicted to grow by 14% by 2024, a much faster pace for job growth than on average.

Instead of shying away from a career in skilled trades, women can instead pursue the opportunity that has been given to them and utilize their talents. How can women continue to pursue careers down the vocational route? They can start by doing their research.

Resources for Women Interested in Skilled Trade Careers

As mentioned above, doing your research and knowing the facts about the field you’re interested in is very important for women looking to make a mark in the skilled trades industry. To expedite this process, we have provided a number of resources for women to utilize in their search for a vocational-based career.

General Information Resources

If you want to find the latest trends and statistics for your field, such as projected job growth, bookmark the following websites:

Resources Catered Specifically to Women in the Skilled Trades

There are many resources out there specifically for women who are interested in pursuing a career in the skilled trades. Whether you’re a woman who’s looking to begin your vocational career or you’ve already been working in the industry and you’re seeking out new connections, these resources will be a helpful asset:

Do you know of any other resources for women in the world of skilled trades? Let us know and we’ll add them to our list!

Additional Resources for Vocational School Careers, Sorted by Industry

Here at New Castle School of Trades, we offer many programs that women can apply to and enroll in. In addition to the plethora of resources for women in trades listed above, we want to provide a variety of additional resources, which we’ve broken down into specific industries, featuring links for networks, blogs, societies and more:

Women Looking to Establish a Career in the Trades Can Reach Out to Us Today!

There’s no denying that women have made significant strides within the skilled trades industry. From construction professionals working on building a home to machinists repairing aerospace parts, there are more and more women making their way into the vocational industry. If you’re ready to earn your education in an exciting, hands-on trades career, we want to hear from you.

Women who are interested in either beginning or changing the direction of their careers by becoming part of one of our programs listed above can contact us today and let us know which program of ours they’re interested in.

We’d be more than happy to provide you with more information about our courses and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!